Don’t get me wrong Adam Foote is the tank commander that I think the Canucks need right now.

With that being said I don’t think we should continue with him past this season. I understand that he had a hard job with losing so many players to trades and injuries, but I don’t think he is the right coach to lead a new young squad through this rebuild.

Adam Foote also seemed rushed into the job. It felt like panic from the management to both find a replacement for Tocchet and someone that Quinn Hughes would be ok with. Not to say that he doesn’t deserve the job, he has been working hard and really got dealt bad hand after bad hand.

Now on the path forward.I think we don’t have to look far to find a coach thats had recent success. Actually he is in our organization and was in the past too.

Manny Malhotra.

He is currently the Head Coach of the Abbotsford Canucks and has been an assistant coach in the NHL. Manny would take the Head Coach position in May 2024 and would proceed to lead the team the the Calder Cup in his first season. This past season has been a different story. Abbotsford would lose some key players in the offseason. Coupled with all the problems with the Vancouver Canucks like injuries and trades, the Abbotsford line up was decimated. They ended the 205-2026 season at 29th. Still out performing the parent organization.

https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1845139885046497612

I think there is an argument to be had that he hasn’t been the coach long enough. As the 32nd place team now is a chance to give someone a chance to break into the NHL as a new coach. It’s often that the same coaches rotate around the league and rarely do you see new faces.

Malhotra has shown his high hockey IQ through his play.

He had the second highest faceoff percentage in the league in 2011 with 61.7%. Thats crazy. Also being nominated for the Selke Trophy and seen as a potential winner in 2011 before getting hit in the eye with a puck that March. That would take him out for the rest of the regular season and would need 2 surgeries. The effort and determination he has was also on display as he was thought to be done with the post season too, but was able to come back in the Stanley Cup Finals where the Canucks would eventually lose to Boston in 7.

Despite not being a head coach for long I think it’s time for the Canucks to take a chance on Malhotra.

He is a winner after all.